Sorry, all you hard-working ladies out there… science has proven that women have a tougher
time unwinding at night.
But we've rounded up the main culprits for that sleep deprivation - and here's what to
do about it!
"Lady and gentleman, woman and man, we are now on the path to sleep enlightenment.”
Unlike men, women's reproductive systems go through major changes throughout adulthood,
and those changes can affect sleep.
President of the Canadian Sleep Society, Helen Driver told Best Health,
"Women are more prone to having poor sleep around menstruation.
And that's related to pain and mood changes."
"Now everybody say it together.
Menstruation.
Like gentle, happy but casual, and… menstruation.”
During your menstrual cycle, be sure to go to bed and wake up at the same time every
day.
Eating healthy foods and moving your body will also help with sleep.
Research shows that women are better able to tune into their emotions, and that can
make it hard to shut our brains off at night.
Driver says,
"[…] women tend to ruminate about things a little bit more than men do.
Women worry and think about what's happened during the day, and they're not able to let
things go."
If you and your partner both had bad days at work, he can still easily drift off to
dreamland while you're still trying to problem solve.
But that's not the only thing your brain is busy doing…
Researchers at Duke University studied the differences in men and women's sleep and discovered
that women require more sleep than men because they simply use their brains more.
Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Center at Loughborough University, told The
Australian,
"The more of your brain you use during the day, the more of it that needs to recover
and, consequently, the more sleep you need.
Women tend to multi-task […] and so they use more of their actual brain than men do."
Looks like we're just gonna have to admit that being the smarter sex is a blessing and
a curse!
“It was almost as if I had a mind of my own.”
It turns out, women cope better with sleep deprivation than men do.
As any new mom can attest, even an exhausted woman can still function after a night of
no sleep.
Men, on the other hand - not so much.
Researchers at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that women reported less sleepiness
and performed assigned tasks better than men, when sleep-deprived.
Maybe we don't fall asleep as fast because our bodies know that come morning, no matter
what, we've gotta suck it up and get to work!
"Sorry did I wake you?”
“I don't sleep.
I win.”
So maybe science proves that women can function on less sleep than men.
But even so, it's bad for our health.
"I can't do this anymore.
We need to talk.”
“What's wrong?"
A 2007 study in Sleep revealed the effects of poor sleep on over 6,000 men and women.
Researchers found an association between less sleep and an increased risk for heart attacks
in middle-aged women, which they didn't find for men.
Insufficient sleep can also lead to accelerated aging of the skin, blood clots, stroke, and
psychiatric problems in women.
Sleep expert Michael Breus told The Australian that after a night of little sleep,
"We found that women had more depression, women had more anger, and women had more hostility
early in the morning."
"Are you irritated due to lack of sleep?
Do mornings frustrate you and cause you to wig out?
Sorry.”
Most adults don't get enough sleep, but for women it's about more than just passing out
on the sofa while you're trying to catch up on your favorite shows.
Because it takes a real toll on our heart health, we can't mess around with sleep deprivation.
So what exactly can we do about it?
First: exercise every day.
According to the Mayo Clinic, physical activity will help you fall asleep faster and get deeper
sleep each night.
Next, commit to a regular bedtime routine.
Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day - even on weekends.
Harvard Health suggests your goal should be to sleep for seven to nine hours, a night.
And finally, ditch the screens.
And keep your bedroom dark and cool to encourage sleep.
However, there are times in our lives when sleep is just impossible.
Unsurprisingly, research shows that your sleep time will decrease when there are children
in the home, according to Best Health.
"Know what my favorite mom fantasy is?”
“What?”
“Having a quiet breakfast by myself."
Ask your partner for help so that you're not burning out on zero sleep.
And if your sleep gets worse, check in with your doctor.